<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Reunion by monkeyfish</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25847692">Reunion</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/monkeyfish/pseuds/monkeyfish'>monkeyfish</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Post-Advent Children (Compilation of FFVII), Post-Canon, Seventh Heaven (Compilation of FFVII), Tifa has a bar empire, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:27:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,964</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25847692</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/monkeyfish/pseuds/monkeyfish</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tifa and Reno meet up for some drinks 10 years after the events of Advent Children, after having developed a strong friendship over text messages over the years. Fluff ensures.</p><p>Finished for now, MIGHT continue it, depending on interest.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tifa Lockhart &amp; Reno, Tifa Lockhart/Reno</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Tifa's Harem ~ Showcase</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Reunion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Edge had grown over the past ten years.</p><p>The city had expanded immensely, the roads now connecting nearby towns with proper asphalt and streetlights, traffic flowing both ways. Some of the new squares contained playgrounds for the kids, filled with laughter from gleeful children who came together to play in the sun. Others had fountains and sculptures; monuments from days long gone, reflected in the abstract shapes of a meteor and the lifestream. The people did not want to forget the history that had shaped them, and having the monuments gave them a place to come to remember together. One of the smaller fountains doubled as a wishing well, where the weekly collected money was given away to the shelters and orphanages around the city. </p><p>Most of the orphans from the Sector 7 plate incident back in Midgar were grown up now, settling in to their lives with jobs and apartments of their own. Many stuck to each other even after all these years, finding solace in a constant in their ever changing lives. Tifa knew the older ones had become regulars at Seventh Heaven, meeting up for some food and a drink every now and then.</p><p>Tifa had opened two more bars in Edge: now the owner of three altogether, since they defeated Sephiroth.</p><p>Seventh Heaven was the flagship and her oldest, most beloved location. Cloud Nine was the second one she opened, easily becoming the most trendy bar in this part of Edge with its neon lights and spacious dancefloor, and Top of the World was her niche rooftop bar on top of the WRO headquarters, mostly intended for VIPs. It had an outdoors theme with fake grass, plants and trees, and gave a beautiful view over Edge. It was frequented by high-ranking WRO employees and their entourages. </p><p>All the bars ran with great success. Marlene had taken over as daily manager in Seventh Heaven and was doing a great job despite her young age. She had learned from Tifa and created the same welcoming environment with her inclusive nature and twinkle in her eye.</p><p>Barret and his girlfriend of five years, Monya (carefully approved by Marlene), lived not too far away, and were only a phone call away if Marlene needed help. Barret was no longer travelling as much as he used to, and Tifa found safety in his close proximity to the bar for Marlene’s sake. Because of this, Tifa could spend most of her focus on her two newest branches, but generally had a lot more free time than years prior. It was freeing to have time to get to know herself better. </p><p>Reeve had given Denzel a position within WRO’s offices, which he seemed to speak highly of every time she met up with him for dinner. On his nights off from WRO, he would help out in the bar, just like Cloud had done for Tifa.</p><p>He still lived over Seventh Heaven along with Marlene. The two of them had grown close over the years as brother and sister, keeping each other safe and sane. </p><p>Cloud and Tifa had dated for a few years following the curing of his Geostigma. She had felt so happy in the beginning, really feeling like her life was settling in just the way it was supposed to. She had felt like Cloud was her soulmate, and for a while it was all good.</p><p>Then suddenly it wasn’t, for reasons she was unable to put into words. The intense love had faded away, and she found herself looking for affirmation elsewhere. They eventually broke it off, deciding they were better off as friends. At that point, he moved to a different part of the city to run his delivery service from there.</p><p>That had been eight years ago.</p><p>He still spent time with Denzel and Marlene, and the two of them were able to be civil when all their old friends were meeting up.</p><p>Tifa had heard from Denzel that Cloud was dating again, and although it had stung a little to learn, she didn’t blame him for it. She was at peace with their relationship now, and only wished him the best.</p><p>Tifa had met Reno, of all people, briefly after Cloud had moved out, a chance encounter on the street outside of the place that would come to be known as Cloud Nine. He had been so excited to see her, and when he held her tight, the smell and warmth of him made their way into Tifa’s heart. They had exchanged numbers for old time’s sake, before he had to run, but they had messaged each other rapidly after that, until Tifa got too busy with her two new bars. She had always felt excited to see his name light up her screen, laughing at his words and feeling a connection building.</p><p>His jokes often bordered on flirtation, but it never seemed to be explicit, and she was careful to not be too explicit in her replies, as she didn’t want to ruin this friendship they had developed. If it would ever be more than that, she didn’t know, but she would be lying if she said she wasn’t hoping. </p><p>She hadn’t really liked him the first time they ever met, years and years ago, but things had changed, and so much time had passed since then. After Kadaj, Sephiroth, the mess with Geostigma, they had gotten to talking, and she realized they had a lot in common. They had both been broken back then, but time had been kind to heal the worst cracks, for both of them. </p><p>At present, she had been invited to a part of Edge she did not usually go to, and because of the distance from her own home (now a large apartment near the WRO building), she had decided to rent a hotel room for the night. </p><p>The late evening was warm and humid, and the stars covered the sky like a sparkling drape, looking down on the busy bar with small outdoor tables and its guests enjoying the summer temperatures with cold drinks. Tifa had never been here before, so the change of scenery excited her. It was a nice place with plenty of room in the back garden, closed off from the road in front. Chains of light bulbs hung from the canopies above them, their glow beautiful in the ever darkening evening.</p><p>Her heart fluttered, and her head was dizzy from the two bottles of wine she had already consumed. The wine glass on the small table in front of her was accompanied by a glass of beer. She laughed at the joke from the man on her right, and leaned over to squeeze his arm affectionately where he was sitting in a chair next to hers. </p><p>
  <em> Reno. </em>
</p><p>They had spent the entire afternoon together, chatting as if they had seen each other only last week, when in truth, it had been eight years since they met in person. She couldn’t quite believe it; their conversation flowed <em> so well </em> . They <em> had </em>been speaking nearly every day through text messages for the past year or so, once things had stabilized for her businesses, but it was something else to be able to see him, hear his voice, be near enough to touch him. </p><p>It was a lighter, more mature, less cocky Reno who now sat by her. He had lost his signature goggles and his low ponytail, and now sported a shorter, yet spiky red hair style. His demeanour was calm, yet enthusiastic while they were chatting, smiling more often than not. The signature smirk of his was still in place, but Tifa noticed he used it more reservedly. </p><p>The years had done him well, and maturity looked good on him. He had passed 35 by now, not many years senior to Tifa. He was wearing a loose white polo t-shirt tucked into his beige chinos with a brown leather belt. She could see his chest, but not nearly as much of it as he used to show in his 20s. Tifa herself was dressed in a loose white summer dress with thin straps and a green and yellow floral motif, with some light sandals to match.</p><p>Tifa and Reno had both been in relationships between the era of Sephiroth’s defeat and now, most notably Cloud for Tifa, but right now, they were both single. She didn’t dare wish for the two of them to get together, in danger of heart-shattering disappointment. It would have been too good to be true. She had realised they were so similar and had so much in common, and she actually really liked him.</p><p>If she was being honest, she never understood why they hadn’t gotten together years back, after she had split up with Cloud and the worst feelings had settled. They never met up besides that chance encounter, but their messages and banter was a clear indication that they should have. She guessed it was ancient history, and they never touched the topic together. She was worried that if they did, he would give her a reason for why it wouldn’t work, so she avoided bringing it up. </p><p>This evening however, they had laughed together, told each other stories old and new, as well as reminisced about years past as the hours went by. They had bought each other every other round of drinks, and he currently got up to get the next one, smiling to her as he left. She took the opportunity to look at herself in her pocket mirror in her handbag.</p><p>The pleasant heat the summer evening was providing gave her face a natural glow, and the gentle sheen on her skin came from the moisture in the air. She had seen it on him too. The humidity had stuck to them both, and she almost wished for some rain to wash it away.</p><p>The mirror showed a happy face with some simple summerly makeup and rosy cheeks, either from heat or wine, or potentially from excitement. Her hair was cut just below her shoulders now, and she still preferred it a little shorter in the front to frame her face.</p><p>Reno returned soon after and presented her with her next glass of wine, which she accepted with a smile as her fingers graced his when taking the glass. She took a sip to calm her fluttering heart, to no avail.</p><p>The alcohol made her bold, which is why she leaned towards him again during their next shared laughter and touched his arm quickly in emphasis. He smiled at her in return, but made no move to reciprocate the motion. Maybe she was reading too much into their connection? Tifa didn’t want to think too much about this. Instead, she retrieved her arm again, and their conversation continued.</p><p>As the clock passed midnight, they decided they had had enough to drink and should probably head home. Reno was going to walk her to her hotel, before heading home himself from there.</p><p>He lived in this part of Edge, but had to take a taxi a short distance to get to his apartment. He knew a shortcut to her hotel however, so she would let him lead the way.</p><p>Tifa got up from her chair and felt extremely unbalanced after the wine. She was unaccustomed to drinking this much in one night, and laughed as she reached for him to stabilize herself. </p><p>«I’m going to need you to not fall over, Reno.»</p><p>He laughed and happily presented her his arm. </p><p>«Drunkard.»</p><p>She smiled, feeling a rush running through her when she was allowed to hold on to him, and lean on him as they walked. </p><p>They kept talking and laughing on the way, and walked through dark streets that he knew better than her since it was his part of town, leading her ever onwards back towards her bed for the night. However slow they were walking, it was still too fast for her, as it brought their evening closer to an end.</p><p>In one of these dark streets, he stopped her to show her a picture on his phone of Rude and his 2 year old son. They found a flowerbed edge to sit on, and she scooted closer to him to see. She kept her hands neatly placed on her own thighs, but boldly put her head on his shoulder thanks to her swimming inebriated head.</p><p>He kept looking at his phone with the picture of what was basically a mini-Rude with sunglasses securely in place, same as his dad next to him. They were both grinning widely. Tifa felt Reno lean his head onto hers as well, and keep it there. She smiled, feeling that adrenaline rush through her. </p><p>«He’s a right little brat,» Reno said. «But has a heart of gold, like his dad.»</p><p>«Do you get to see them often?»</p><p>«Not as much as I would have liked, but <em>way</em> more often than I’ve been able to see you.»</p><p>He lifted his head and turned to look at her. She did the same. Their eyes locked and she kept smiling. His phone was soon forgotten, as he leaned in gently and gave her a tentative kiss on the lips. She closed her eyes and returned the kiss without much bravado. She didn’t need this to be spectacular, she just needed it to <em> happen. </em> </p><p>One thing she had learned over the past years of self-discovery was that not everything needs to be a big deal. The small things in life are equally as important, and she had learned to appreciate them too, more so than the big events. Little things like a phone call from Denzel, a laugh from Marlene, seeing a happy couple on the street, a hug from a friend, waking up in a safe location, not having to look over her shoulder at every waking moment. </p><p>Reno broke the kiss, staring at her with a smile. She studied his lips that had just been on hers. She felt elevated, her head swimming with alcohol and joy. </p><p>«I’ve wanted you to do that for a while,» she said carefully.</p><p>«Me too,» he replied.</p><p>She gave a little giggle before she daringly wrapped her arms around his waist where they sat, snuggling into his armpit and closing her eyes. He placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She savoured the feeling of his warm body and inhaled his scent that had a faint hint of alcohol covering it.</p><p>Suddenly the world seemed brighter, even though it was way past midnight and the sun had long gone.</p><p>He kissed her head lovingly, and she sighed, enjoying the moment.</p><p>«What do you want to do?» he asked.</p><p>«I thought you were walking me back to my hotel?»</p><p>«I mean with this,» he gestured between them.</p><p>«Oh. I don’t know. Do we need to decide that right now?»</p><p>«Probably not.» He leaned his head onto hers again.</p><p>«I am enjoying what is happening, if that makes a difference?» She poked his ribs with one hand, and he jumped towards her.</p><p>«Hey!»</p><p>She laughed at his flailing voice. </p><p>«I guess there’s no need to rush into definitions. I’m also enjoying this.»</p><p>She sat up and made him turn to face her. It was almost strange how natural it felt to boldly touch his face like that. His short stubble gently scraped her fingertips as she held him. </p><p>«I’ve waited long enough for this right here. I’d like to savour it a little before needing definitions.» </p><p>Tifa looked deeply into his eyes and smiled, and he returned the smile as he came in for another kiss. This kiss was deeper than the first one, and lasted longer. She felt herself melt into him.</p><p>Reno's hand came up to move her hair out of her face, hooking it behind her ear. His hand lingered and stroked her along her jaw down to her lips. He broke the kiss and dragged his thumb along her bottom lip.</p><p>The feelings he invoked in her at this moment were not fit for public locations. His close proximity and warmth almost sobered her up, regardless of the amount of wine she had been drinking. She kissed his thumb and placed her hand on his, squeezing it gently. </p><p>«I really like you, you know.»</p><p>He smiled at her words. «I know. You’re alright, I guess.»</p><p>«Hey!» She slapped his arm softly, and he laughed, pulling her closer.</p><p>«I really like you too, Tifa.»</p><p>It was as if something heavy and painful lifted off her shoulders when he uttered those words, as if it was the truest thing she had ever heard. </p><p>She always thought he had liked her, but never knew for sure if he liked her as much as she liked him, and in the same way. Their friendship had become strong over the years, and a line had definitely been balanced at times, but nothing was ever certain in her eyes.</p><p>They watched the stars, clear over Edge, a sight that had been impossible before, back underneath Midgar's plates. </p><p>Tifa closed her eyes and faced the humid summer evening sky and smiled widely. </p><p>«I wish this night could last longer.»</p><p>«It doesn’t have to end just yet?» he suggested.</p><p>She opened her eyes and found his gaze mischievous upon her. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt it tingle down her spine.</p><p>«What do you have in mind?» she inquired.</p><p>Reno smiled and stood, reaching for her hand. She took it and felt him pulling her up, where her legs shook from being unbalanced still. He placed her arm around his own for support, and led her onwards down the street, to continue their walk and wonderful evening together. </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>